Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma Gandhi)

Gandhi's Life - Gandhi was a man who went to law school in London,became a lawyer and one day traveled to South Africa on a train in a first class car and was thrown off for being a colored man,after he learned of the brutality of the British to colored people he decided to help in any way that he could in a "non-violent" way so that the British would see their brutality,so his first act was to burn passes that Indians needed to travel,he said that it was wrong for them to have to have a pass to go anywhere when the British didn't he burned passes even though British soldiers beat him for it and eventually threw him into prison.He was released soon after and from there traveled to,and explored India by train and discovered the vast poverty there and he wanted to help.His way had lots of parts such as,he wanted no Indian to buy British clothes but buy indigo from other struggling Indians,and three times he called all of his followers together and had none of them work so trains,telegraphs,everything stopped(a strike). and shortly after he was released from prison he did something really cool.He walked 240 miles to the sea(he wasn't a young man at this time)and made salt which the British had a monopoly on which he gave to all Indians,but then the British soldiers came and took everyone on that beach and more to prison except Gandhi.Well that made everything stop,so they eventualy released everyone,but then two terrible events happened,the first one was that around 1,500 Indians who followed Gandhi met in a courtyard,and while they were talking British soldiers came in and shot and killed everyone,men,women,and children.Then Gandhi had a campaign go out to help find more followers,but when British soldiers attacked some of the men the campaign turned and fought(which was violence that Gandhi didn't want)and killed the soldiers,and decided that they would keep going and if soldiers got in their way they would fight them.When word reached Gandhi about this he told them to stop but they didn't,so he said that he would fast until they stopped,even if it killed him.After many days of fasting he recieved word that the campaign had stopped and that all violence had ceased,and that Indians were even giving soldiers clothes,with that Gandhi stopped the fast.Soon after that,he was then put into prison for six years,hoping that it would make people forget him,but on the contrary,his followers still supported him even while he was in prison.They went to a salt plant and when they got there there were soldiers waiting for them,they didn't fight the soldiers they walked right up to the soldiers and took all of their blows as they walked up to the,this went on and on until none of them could stand anymore.Then later when Gandhi was released from prison he went to London,England for a session to discuss the freedom of India.While Gandhi was in prison again for trying to hold a meeting on the evil of British rule in India his wife died in prison with him.Shortly after he was released from prison India was freed,it now had it's own government and India was free to rule itself.But then the government decided that it would be best it hindus and moslems made two seperate countrys(which Gandhi was opposed to)the Hindus made up India and the Moslems would make up Pakistan,this decision caused strife and eventually caused fighting to erupt.Gandhi saw this violence and killing amoung his own people and told them again that he would fast until death if the fighting didn't stop.People came up to Gandhi and made promises of non-violence,but he wouldn't stop the fast until all people stopped fighting.Then one day a report came that at all places everywhere the fighting had stopped,with that he left to oversee the imagration of the moslems,but tragically while he was on his way he was shot and killed by an assassin.He died richer than any man because of his courage to take the blows to get it done.

1869 - Born on the 2nd of October in Porbandar, Gujarat, India.

1883 - Gandhi married Kasturba Makhanji after his parents arranged the marriage.

1888 - Went to University College London to train as a barrister and his first child Harilal Gandhi was born.

1892 - His wife gave birth to Manilal Gandhi, his second child.

1894 - He founded the Natal Indian Congress with him as the secretary.

1897 - His son Ramdas Gandhi was born.

1900 - Their fourth child was born and was named Devdas Gandhi.

1915 - Gandhi founded an ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India which was named Satyagrah Ashram.

1916 - He supported the British Power during World War I.

1921 - Gandhi was invested with executive authority on behalf of the Indian National Congress in December.

1948 - On the 30th of January, he was assasinated in Birla House, New Delhi, by Nathuram Godse.

Page last updated: 2:18pm, 22nd Oct '08

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

"No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive."

"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent."

"I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship. I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love."